Tawny owls are helping re-write the nature books and providing foresters at Kielder with new insights into the vitality of England's biggest woodland.

The Forestry Commission is working with researchers from the Northumbria Ringing Group on Britain's largest ever study of the creature in an upland conifer wood.

Although tawnies generally live in broadleaf and urban areas, the Kielder study, which began in 1980 and currently provides over 230 artificial nests, is revealing a new side to its nature.

Environment Forester Bill Burlton said:

"According to the text books tawnies should be very scarce in a high spruce wood. Yet in the study area alone around Kielder Water we have a thriving population of about 44 pai rs. No study on this scale has ever been carried out so the results are intriguing to say the least."

Forest chiefs deem the research so important because it is helping gauge the woodland’s conservation value to a range of animals. Owls are high up in the food chain and like many other creatures feed on small mammals. If the latter are plent iful then the outlook for bio-diversity in Kielder is excellent.

Bill Burlton explained:

"The fact that tawnies are very territorial and spend their entire life in the forest adds to their usefulness as a "barometer" species. Prey such as vole and mice do best in ungrazed areas with long grass cover, a habitat readily available in forest sites cleared of timber. The way the forest is being felled with patche s of clear fell mixed in with mature trees is providing an important habitat for birds and mammals"

For the past three years naturalist Brian Little, 66, from Blaydon, has been collecting data for the project, which is then analysed by co-ordinator Dr Steve Petty, formerly of the Forestry Commission’s Wildlife Ecology Branch. Each spring he ventures into the forest with a step ladder to ring chicks and returns in the winter to provide boxes with an insu lation of pine and spruce needles.

"The owls seem very much at home in our bird boxes and have varied their diet to suit the habitat," said Brian, who has been monitoring Kielder’s bird population for 40 years. "Their favourite delicacy is short tailed vole, which sometimes can be thin on the ground. But Kielder's owls have proved what "wise birds" they are by expanding their diet to feast on wood mice and bank vole, which are abundant."

 The Forestry Commission have earmarked more trees in Kielder for long-term retention to provide owls and other animals with a stable habitat. Owl nest boxes in areas due for felling are also moved to adjoining blocs to encourage residents to stay putt in the forest. The study is due to run for another five years. For more information on the Forestry Commission go to www. forestry.gov.uk

Media calls to Richard Darn on 01226 246351 or 07702 991827.